Can openers



y 1968 J. P. SALAMONE 3,383,007

CAN OPENERS Filed March 22, 1967 Lfose & SaZamozze 14 fiwezz i or: I

United States Patent 3,383,007 CAN ORENERS Joseph P. Salamone, 1405 Wentworth Ave., Chicago Heights, Ill. 60411 Filed Mar. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 625,236 8 Claims. (Cl. 22048) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A round can formed with a modified top to which an opener is fitted after the can has been filled. The top is pressed upwardly on diametrically-opposite sides with symmetrical arcuate offsets which contain blanks climbing from the level of the can top and defined by spreading scoring lines. At the source the blanks present concave ledges. The can top is made with an upward rim enlarged outwardly and forming an interlocking joint with the mouth of the can. The opener is a cross-bar extending diametrically over the can top and having arcuate terminal formations straddling the rim of the can stop. The formations have hooks which yield when the opener is depressed to mount the interlocking joint, the hooks engaging the latter from underneath in order to retain the opener to the can while allowing the opener to be rotated along the interlocking joint. The cross-bar carries a pair of pendent pins spaced as the ledges of the can top formations. The rotation of the opener in the climbing directions of the offsets causes the pins to engage the ledges of the offsets, depress the blanks thereof, and break them along the scoring lines into the can, forming openings in its top for dispensing the can contents.

My invention relates to can openers, and more particularly to those designed for opening cans of beer or other carbonated beverages. Such openers are of different varieties, and must be kept available or looked for when a can is to be opened. Also, some openers are hard to operate or require more or less skill on the part of the person handling them. Consequently, a conventional can opener is an article separate from or accessory to cans desired to be opened; and it is usually impossible or very difficult to open a can of the type mentioned in case a suitable opener has been lost or mislaid.

In view of the above situation, one object of the present invention is to provide an opener which is to all intents and purposes a part of the can, and is therefore available and ready for use whenever the can is to be opened and its contents dispensed.

Another object is to provide an opener which is attached to the can with a gripping fit after the can has been filled and is ready for delivery to the place of sale, or attachable at the place of sale to go with the can when it is sold.

A further object is to design the opener and the can with formations which co-operate to open the can when the opener is manipulated.

A still further object is to design the can top with frangible offsets on opposite sides, and the opener with elements creating openings in the offsets when the opener is given a partial turn, such openings being suitable for pouring out the contents of the can.

An important object is to construct the opener compactly, economically, and for handling in one piece.

A better understanding of the invention may be gained by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the opener mounted on the can;

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one offset developed "ice from the can top, and an element for puncturing the same; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 after the said element has punctured the offset and forced a blank back to leave an opening in the can through which its contents may be dispensed.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 10 denotes the wall of the can, and 11 its top, the latter being sealed to the wall by a conventional interlocking joint 12.

For the purpose of the invention the top 11 is pressed upwardly with a pair of offsets 14 on opposite sides of the center, as shown in FIG. 1. As more clearly shown in FIG. 3, each offset is elongated from the level of the top with a rounded climb to define side walls 14a and a rear wall =14b. In front the offset meets the top level with a concave ledge at the center; and the offset is scored along lines 14d from the sides of the ledge 140 with a spread to the rear corners of the offset, defining a blank He.

The opener designed to co-operate with the offset just described is mainly in the form of a cross-bar 16 of solid plastic material; and the bar is enlarged at the ends with opposed crescent formations 16a. In the top these formations are recessed as indicated at 16b to fit over opposite portions of the sealing joint 12, as shown in FIG. 2; and the outer portions of the formations 16a depend with hooks 160. These have sufficient flexibility when the opener is deposited with downpressure over the can top to yield momentarily and snap into retentive engagement with the sealing joint 12 from underneath, as shown in FIG. 2. This action causes the opener to become firmly attached to the can while permitting the formations 16 to slide around the can when the cross-bar is turned.

The cross-bar 16 has a pair of pins 17 partially embedded in it near the ends from the under side. When the opener is engaged with the can in a position alternating with the offsets 14, as shown in FIG. 1, the free pendent portions of the pins 17 reach to the level of the can top. When it is desired to open the can, the crossbar 16 is grasped with a turning influence in clockwise directions as seen in FIG. 1. The pins 17 are spaced to be in line with the concave ledges 14c when this is done. The ledges serve as leads for the pins to exert downpressure on the blanks between the scoring lines 14d of the offsets 14 as the cross-bar is turned, breaking the blanks into the unfolded position indicated in FIG. 4. The blanks now leave clear openings in the offsets, either of which may be used for pouring out the contents of the can. FIGS. 1 and 2 show that the opener is ribbed peripherally, as indicated at 16d, to provide a good handgrip for turning the opener as described.

It is now apparent that the novel opener is a facility that comes with the can, and only adds a slight enlargement to the same around the top. Yet, the opener is directly accessible for a handy grasp of its end portions between the fingers of one hand to give the opener a partial turn, this action creating two openings in the top of the can with little effort. The operation of the opener is therefore quick and safe, since the depressed blanks are fully concealed, and nothing projects from the can to be in the way or cause any injury. Also, nothing is discarded from the can to cause a safety hazard.

I claim:

1. Means for opening the top of a round can compris ing at least one upward offset from said top formed with a climbing blank substantially parallel to the rim of the can and defined by lateral scoring lines, an opener mounted over said top and rotatable about the center, and an element carried by the opener and riding said blank with downpressure when the opener is rotated accordingly to break the blank from said scoring lines and fold into the can, leaving a dispensing opening in said top.

2. The structure of claim 1, said offset being on one side, and a similar offset on the diametrically-opposite side.

3. The structure of claim 1, said offset having side walls and an end wall, and said scoring lines being closely spaced at the front end of the offset and spreading toward the rear end thereof.

4. The structure of claim 1, the front end of the blank being substantially midway between the sides of the offset, and a concave ledge at said front end, said element being a pin adapted to start its riding movement by engaging said ledge.

5. The structure of claim 1, the opener being a crossbar positioned medially over said top, and end formations of the cross-bar engaging the rim of said top retentively in sliding relation for rotation as mentioned.

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein said top has a projected sealing joint around its rim, the opener being a cross-bar positioned medially over said top, and end formations of the cross-bar mounted over said joint to engage the same with retaining hooks underneath, said formations being yieldable momentarily on the mounting of the opener with downpressure for the engaging application of said hooks.

7. The structure of claim 1 wherein said top has a projected sealing joint around its rim, the opener being a cross-bar positioned medially over said top, and crescentshaped end formations of the cross-bar mounted over said joint to partly engage it with retaining hooks underneath, said formations being yieldable momentarily on the mounting of the opener with downpressure for the engaging application of said hooks.

8. The structure of claim 1 wherein said top has a projected sealing joint around its rim, the opener being a cross-bar positioned medially over said top, and crescentshaped end formations of the cross-bar mounted over said joint to partly encircle the same and engage it with retaining hooks underneath, said formations being yield able momentarily on the mounting of the opener with downpressure for the engaging application of said hooks and ribbed on the outer sides for finger-grip application to turn the cross-bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1932 Barlow 22048 9/ 1965' Bereziat et al 22048 

